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| Maine Prisoners Bail Themselves Out with Jail ATM |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/20/2003 |
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Cash-strapped inmates can now use bank cards to come up with bail money to get out of the Androscoggin County Jail. The jail is believed to be the first in the state to have an automated teller machine inside its walls. Inmates who have debit or credit cards can get the cash they need to bail themselves out of jail. Capt. John Lebel, the jail administrator, said the ATM is particularly helpful for people arrested for nonviolent offenses. For instance, people charged with driving without a license are often assessed a $50 bail. When added to a bail commissioner's $40 fee, that's $90 to come up with more cash than most people carry. ''Most of them have plastic, though,'' Lebel said. Lebel came up with the idea of a jail ATM about two years ago because many people were spending the night in jail only because they could not access their money. The jail, meanwhile, was crowded. He called several local banks about bringing in an ATM, but nobody was interested. Elmer Berry, an Androscoggin County commissioner, brought up the idea again late last year and called Mechanics Saving Bank, which liked the idea. The bank brought in a cash dispenser about three months ago. Since then, 60 to 70 people have been using the ATM each month; about 90 percent of them are inmates getting cash for bail, while the rest work at the jail and the adjacent county courthouse. Other jails nationwide have ATMs inside, but bank and jail officials don't know of any other jail in Maine that has one. Cumberland County Jail officials are considering getting one. Lebel said the ATM has been beneficial to inmates and the jail. But, he added, ''We're not going to put a sign outside that says 'ATM available.''' The ATM doesn't cost the county anything, and inmates are assessed a $1.50 fee for each transaction. |
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